The “101”

Everyone deserves some fun and relaxation! It can’t be all about school or work, right?

There are a few words to capture these types of activities—”social,” “recreational,” “extracurricular,” “leisure” and “discretionary” among them. There are almost as many words as types of activities! We’re sticking with “fun.”

The types of fun activities are endless and include sports, making arts or enjoying them, spending time outdoors, playing cards, board games, online games, volunteering, spiritual practice, religious worship, reading, watching TV, listening to music, writing poetry or music, photography, videography, thinking about and planning your future, and you can certainly name dozens more.

Fun activities are good for you! They give you a chance to take a break from responsibilities that cause pressure. They offer opportunities to interact with peers in a fun environment. They give you a chance to be with your family.

Of course, fun activities, like all else in life, have risks associated with them, including injuries, overexposure to sun, distraction from school assignments or job responsibilities, potential hurt feelings if you are left out of a group activity, or a hit to your self-esteem if you don’t feel successful at the activity.

A healthy decision would be to choose fun activities that are safe, inclusive, and different from your responsibilities. What other criteria do you recommend for an activity to be considered fun?

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Interest Explorer Check out the Sparks Ideas activity to get you generating ideas about activities that may spark your interest.